Memory Relay: VyatGU brought together young historians from several regions of the country

      On September 10, an interregional round table "War through the Eyes of Young Researchers," dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, was held at Vyatka State University.

      Students and scholars from Vyatka State University; the Kirov branch (institute) of the private higher education institution "Moscow Humanitarian and Economic Institute"; Omsk State University named after F.M. Dostoevsky; Sevastopol State University; Saratov State Law Academy; Chuvash State University named after I. N. Ulyanov; and Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University named after N. A. Dobrolyubov joined the event.

      The event was opened by Alla Konovalova, Director of the VyatSU Coordination Center:

      "With each new generation, the echo of the Great Patriotic War grows stronger in the hearts of historians, giving rise to new, fundamental research. Thanks to the latest technologies, digital archives, and interdisciplinary approaches, young researchers gain the opportunity to see behind the lines of quotations and maps of battles the living fates of people, the complex social mechanisms, and cultural transformations carried through the decades."

      Photo: Vyatka State University

      Participants of the round table discussed the feats of Soviet soldiers on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, their role in the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army, the functioning of the Soviet economy in 1941–1945, regional aspects of the histories of the Great Patriotic and Second World Wars, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the struggle against collaborators and helpers of the occupiers, the search movement in Russia, and issues of preserving historical memory.

      "The history of the Great Patriotic War is multifaceted. Especially interesting is the layer of personal histories — the priceless biographies of our great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers, the knowledge of which we carefully carry in the histories of our families," emphasized Alexey Kostin, Director of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at VyatSU.

      Photo: Vyatka State University

      Timofey Leyferov, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of History, Political Science and Cultural Studies at VyatSU, spoke about his great-grandfather, Yeremey Semyonovich Leyferov. During the war he worked as a designer at State Union Plant No. 82 of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry (Narkomtiazhprom), and later escorted aircraft to testing sites. After the war he continued working at Plant No. 32, which had been evacuated from Moscow to Kirov.

      "For his work he received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and two Orders of the Badge of Honor. I feel immense pride for my great-grandfather and believe that he made an invaluable contribution to the Great Victory. Our duty as descendants is to preserve the bright memory of these heroic events for future generations," Timofey noted.

      Photo: Vyatka State University

      A report by Valeria Burlakova, a third-year student at VyatSU, devoted to one of the world's largest museums — the Victory Museum, where majestic dioramas recreate scenes of the most important battles of the Great Patriotic War — drew lively interest from the audience.

      "As a future teacher, I am convinced that these canvases will have a profound emotional impact on the hearts and minds of schoolchildren, fostering in them a sense of patriotism and pride in their country," Valeria said.

      VyatSU student Artem Pavlov spoke about the university's search squad "Fakel" and shared impressions from participating in excavations in the Staraya Russa area, while future teacher Anna Trefilova shed light on the role of the home front in providing the front with everything necessary for victory.

      Photo: Vyatka State University

      At the conclusion of the discussion, the event's moderator — Doctor of Historical Sciences and Head of the Department of History and Political Science at VyatSU, Andrey Mashkovtsev — thanked the presenters for addressing important topics and contributing to the preservation of historical memory.

      Thanks to the interregional round table, beginning political scientists, historians, cultural scholars, sociologists, and lawyers were able to present their concepts and discuss how contemporary society should engage with the memory of the Great Patriotic War and the challenges of the present. Young researchers were presented with certificates and commemorative branded gifts from the VyatSU Coordination Center.